Combination brief case and traveling bag



Jan. 2, 1951 G COMBINATION BRIEF CASE AND TRAVELING BAG Filed Nov. 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zmventor ROBERT GRAY Jan. 2, 1951 R. GRAY COMBINATION BRIEF CASE AND TRAVELING BAG 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5, 1949 ROBERT GRAY Cittorneg Patented Jan. 2, 19 51 COMBINATION BRIEF CASE AND TRAVELING BAG Robert Gray, Philadelphia, Pa. Application November 5, 1949, Serial No. 125,824

This invention relates to a combination brief case and traveling bag, which is so constructed and arranged as to permit various parts thereof to be joined to each other to form different combinations according to the varying requirements of the user.

Professional men and the like are frequently required to make trips, involving different lengths of time, and also to carry with them papers in different quantities.

Heretofore the common practice, in connection with such trips, has been to carry the clothing required in one piece of luggage, and the papers in a separate brief case or the like. Persons who have been compelled to use such combinations of luggage and brief cases are quite familiar with the awkwardness and difficulties in carying the same.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a piece of luggage in which small quantities of clothing may be carried for short trips, such as those of an overnight, or slightly longer duration, and at the same time having provision for carrying such papers as are necessary in connection with the business of the trip.

With the foregoing object is view, the present invention contemplates the provision of a piece of luggage which, in its simplest arrangement, may comprise two parts, which may be joined to each other with separable fasteners, preferably of the slide operated type, which however can be extended in size to increase the capacity there of by the interposition of gussets, which gus ets are also provided with complemental separable fasteners so that the gussets may be inserted and secured between the side members easily and conveniently when desired.

The insertable gussets may be provided in various widths, and thev may be used singly, or in combination, so that desired widths of the device may be obtained.

The invention further contemplates the provision of an internal partition which, if desired, may be utilized for the separation of papers from clothing, and said partition may also be so constructed and arranged as to receive papers or other things in a pocket or pockets formed therein.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the parts arranged to form a. brief case embodying certain 2 Claims. ((31. 150 1.6)

features of the present invention, the same being shown in its closed condition;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the brief case arrangement shown in Fig. 1, but with the same opened to permit access to the interior thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the same being shown with an intermediate sized gusset partiallysecured to the side portions by separable fasteners of the slide operated type, the parts being joined to provide a traveling bag;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the traveling bag made up of the parts shown in Fig. 4, but with the same in closed condition;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 65 of Fig. 5; and

Figs. '7 and 8 are fragmentary top views of portions of gussets of widths different from those shown in Figs. 4 and 5. i

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, land that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the inven--v tion.

Referring to the drawings, the combination brief case and traveling bag there shown comprises essentially two side members I i] and H each having, on its inner face, a flap l 2 extending entirely around said member, and said members are joined to each other by a separable fastener l of the slide operated type commonly known as zippers.

Each of the s de members l0 and II is provided with a carrying handle member I 4 of any preferred type. By thus providing each of the side members l0 and II with a separate handle, said handles may be used together no matter if the side members only are used to form a brief case, or if one or more of the gussets are used therewith to form a travelling bag.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings that the two comnlementary parts of the separable fastener l3 extend entirely around the edges of the flaps l2 so that when the slide member I5 is slid around the flaps l2 of the side members l0 and I I of the bag, the two parts will be secured to each other and the brief case thus provided will be closed on all four edges.

The arrangement is such, however, that by retracting the slide member l5 to the registering device l6, preferably located along the edges of the bottom flaps 12 of the side members 10 and rangement, a series of gussets23, 24 and 25, one of said gussets 24, of intermediate width, being: shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings; a portion of another gusset 25, of greater width being shown in Fig. '7, and a portion of still another gusset 23, of lesser width being shown in. Fig. 8.

The gusset members 23, 24 and 25, preferably comprise elongated strips of flexible material, such as cloth, canvas, leather, or the like, having snap fasteners 26 at their respective ends for securing the ends to each other when'the arrangement is as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Each of the gusset members 23, 24 and 25 is of such length as to extend entirely around the edges of the flaps lZ'of the side-members ill-and II, and each of said gussets is provided, on each edge, with separable fastener'members I3 adapted to coact with and to be joined to' the complemental fastenerv members i 3 provided on the flaps l2 of. theside'members it and Hand, also; joinable to thesimilar. separable fastener membersof'the other gussets.

The gusset members-23, 24 and 25 may also be provided with tabsiifl'each carrying portions of snap fasteners 18 for. the purpose of securing the partition member H to whichever of saidgussets maybein use; and thus separatethe interior of thebag into separate compartments so that the clothing needed for. a trip of.a night or two, may. be. placedon oneside of the partition, and the papers used in. connectionwiththe trip may be placed on the other side thereof.

The pocket provided-in the partition member I! may beused for any desired purpose, but preferably would be employed for carrying the folded gusset'strips 23, 24 and 25 of the size or sizes which are not'bein'g used upon a particular occasion, so that the same will always be" available at any time it may be necessary toincrease the size ofthe bag.

It will, of course, be readily apparent that the gussets' 23, 24 and 25" may be selectively used, and'any two or more ma be simultaneouslyused, to change the capacity of the bag wheneverit'may become necessary or" desirable to do" so.

I claim:

1. A combination brief case and travelling bag comprising a pair of substantially similar side members each having projecting flaps extending entirely around adjacent the edges of said side members and each having a separate handle extending beyond the upper edge thereof, slide operated separable fastener devices extending entirely around theedges of 'said flapsadapted to join said side members to each other to form a brief case, and a gusset made of flexible material and adapted to be inserted between the side memberstoincrease the capacity of the device and thereby form a travelling bag, said usset having slide operated separable fasteners on each edge thereof complemental to and adapted to engage the separable'fasteners carried by the flaps of the side members thereby to secure the gusset between the side members.

2. A combination brief case and travelling bag comprising a pair of substantially similar side members each" having slide operated separablefastener devices carried: thereby and extending entirely around adjacent the edges thereof and adapted to detachably secure said side members to each other and thereby form a brief case,.each of said sidemembers having a separatehandle extending beyond the upper edge thereof, a gusset made of flexible material and adapted to be:

inserted between the side members to increase the capacity of:thedevi'ce: and thereby form atravelling". bag; said gusset having slide operated-sepa-- rable fasteners on the edges thereof complemental. to and adapted to engage-the separable fasteners carried by the side members thereby to secure. said gusset' between the side'members, a partition member, andmeans for mountingsaidpartition in the interior of the device and for detachably securingithe same to portions-of the gusset.

ROBERT GRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of'this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number. Name. Date 2,299,673 Zolkind- Oct. 20,- 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 240,693 Switzerland. e May 1, 1946- 

